Restoring a Crusty Cast Iron Skillet

In this video I restore an old lodge cast iron skillet that has many years worth of seasoning built up on it. The pan itself is nice, but it needed a good cleaning and re-seasoning.
Timestamps:
0:00 Start
0:37 Into the lye tank
0:41 Out of the lye
2:44 Into electrolysis tank
3:12 Out of electrolysis
5:30 Prepping pan for seasoning
7:39 Start of seasoning process
9:36 Final product

[@Goremachine]

What a helpful and informative DIY instructional video. Everyone has lye, an electrolysis tank and a blow torch in their kitchen!

[@itzBiscuitsB]

Lmao I know right

[@alanmcwilliams4264]

Love this new format of chapters, as always something learned Cheers

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thank you! I’ve been trying to make my videos more organized. Glad you like it.

[@jazthree3]

Such a pretty pan!

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Yes it is! Cooks a great steak too

[@msbutler59]

Very nice job.

[@Austeration]

Nice job 👍 it certainly looked 90% better after giving it a wash. Turned out perfect. Great work.

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

I agree. Most of the time all they need is the old food cleaned offf

[@johnfinkle8583]

Great Job!

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching!

[@vladimirstrazhnikov3271]

Very nice, I am going to try it tonight

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching

[@vladimirstrazhnikov3271]

Really nice

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching

[@oneshotme]

That crust on the outside was from spilt grease over the years. Looks great!
Enjoyed your video and I gave it a Thumbs Up

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching!

[@oneshotme]

@@TheRussianWoodworker Yeah man you're welcome and keep up the great work!

[@anthonystrazhnikov3989]

Awesome!

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching!

[@johnsiemssen6802]

It would be nice to know the vintage of that particular lodge skillet. The style of the logo and the three notches make me think it was old.

[@sashaboyko7068]

Nice!

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching

[@teresacampbell952]

Where do you get the lye from

[@macgyver15147]

Never thought of using lye. Looks like it does a great job. Going to try it out on my next pan

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

It works great! And you can buy it pretty cheap as drain cleaner

[@rickkeeton9246]

You can use vinegar also !

[@pamelasanford1010]

What type of lye do I use?

[@derksrestoration618]

Надо было ещё и Картошку на ней зажарить 👍👍😀 для похода самое то сковорода 👍

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Спасибо за просмотр! Я уже попробовал за жарить на ней картошку и она отлично получилось.

[@edwardhisse2687]

So you just have a barrel fo lye in your backyard huh

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching

[@brandonmartin526]

He IS Russian lol

[@jcs1758]

I use a lye bath (soot) and vinegar bath (rust) only because it was less expensive than an electrolysis tank which removes both. I don't understand the lye bath if you have the electrolysis tank...? The blotchy finish after the crisco was due to too heavy a coat before you put it in the oven. Always wipe on the oil to a prehended pan, then wipe itdry with a dry cloth before you put it in the oven for an hour. Thin thin coats give a uniform finish

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Thanks for watching this was the first cast iron pan I ever restored so my seasoning wasn’t the best. The lye tank gets rid of all the old seasoning and its a passive thing. The electrolysis cleans off the rust off in an hour. If I put the pan in straight away before lye it would take the electrolysis a very long time to take off all the layers of seasoning.

[@georgea6403]

Great questions and answers. I’m learning a lot. Thanks!

[@darendaleffel1204]

What kind of lye and how much?

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Drain cleaner just google crystal lye

[@costelcostel1730]

DOMNULE CE SOLUȚIE AVEȚI ÎN BUTOI SĂ ȘTIU ȘI EU ,VĂ MULȚUMESC.

[@ambidekster1009]

А що в бочці?

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Lye

[@bigjarn]

Does it cook? Show us some Bacon and eggs

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Still have yet to use it. I don’t have a gas stove at my parents house, but when I use it at my college house with gas I’ll let you know.

[@MarketMinutes]

@@TheRussianWoodworker they work totally fine on glass top or induction ranges.

[@travwilson7827]

If you have a self-cleaning oven, or if you place the skillet in a large volume of coals in hot fire, there will be no need to scrub so much. Bare cast iron afterward.

[@anthonystrazhnikov3989]

That can actually damage the pans ad affect their ability to take seasoning. It is not a recommended form of restoration.

[@leeroyholloway4277]

Electrolysis is the way to go. It'll blow all of that carbon and grease away and not change the properties of the iron. There's not much scrubbing other than a little black residue on the surface. My friends and family hit me up all the time with iron ware to be cleaned in my electro tank.

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

Some ovens burn hotter than others. They can damage the pans by warping them and making them not sit flat in a stove

[@rickkeeton9246]

@@TheRussianWoodworker
That’s true with campfire coals, I’ve never had a problem with a self cleaning oven !

[@jeffw8848]

We just build a camp fire throw the pan in till it glows red, goodbye grease and rust. Hit the cooled pan with a wire brush and season, never had a problem.

[@TheRussianWoodworker]

DO NOT it damages the pan

[@johnsiemssen6802]

Better to do it over coals if need be, not in a live fire.